In jazz, there is a lot of European influence harmonically.
I grew up watching American films, listening to American music, and it's a big contribution to the rest of the world. I mean, American jazz, for me, is the best thing culturally that America has produced.
I'm reserved, so I've always needed to find a way of opening up. Jazz helped me do that.
The lion's share of what I hear right now are people who, intentional or accidental, have avoided all jazz prior to 1960. And all the musicians who were successful in the '60s spent their entire lives, prior to 1960, listening to all the musicians these people avoid.
I am not a jazz singer. I wouldn't place myself on that footing. I wouldn't even enter that arena.
I have a secret love of jazz.
I'm asked so many times why I think there aren't more female instrumentalists in jazz. But I never think about it. And I don't think it's been any harder for me to be taken seriously. The music speaks for itself.
Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music.
I can imagine an utter hatred for the jazz avant-garde.
I love good rock'n'roll, blues and jazz, gospel, and a little reggae.
I don't know who's 18 years old today that, 20 years hence, is going to be a jazz fan.
Tone on jazz guitars is a real tough issue.
I was 16 years old, and I was just flailing around, looking for an interest. I heard, you know, these jazz records. They were modern records, at the time in the '50s, and I realized that I didn't fully get what was going on. But I liked a lot of what I heard.
One of the most important functions of jazz has been to encourage a hope for freedom, for people living in situations of intolerance or struggle.
I think my knowledge of music theory is rooted in jazz theory, and a lot of the writers of standards - Rodgers and Hart, and Gershwin.
The only element of jazz that I keep is improvisation.
Giving jazz the Congressional seal of approval is a little like making Huck Finn an honorary Boy Scout.
Once you start collecting records you learn more and more about jazz and blues.
I've been informed by both sides, jazz, western music, Asian music, African music, all sides, because I've been interested in the sound of the universe, and that sound is without limit.
I started in New Orleans music and played all through the history of jazz.
Jazz needs the help. It's the more sophisticated music. All the other music is on the TV, but jazz isn't.
I like the idea of an eclectic approach, incorporating jazz with other forms and other genres of music.
If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know.
I was the kid at six who was like, 'I want to be in a jazz club.' I was never the pop kid, ever. I mean that's not true, I had a couple years where I wanted to be Tiffany and Debbie Gibson, but aside from that, no.
I studied and sang lot of jazz when I was growing up. I think that plays a little bit into some of the things I do vocally, notes that I pick in chords.
The economic picture in the States today doesn't allow for jazz concerts in a tour fashion. People now are too used to the Festival, which gives them more names for the same price.
To most jazz critics I was basically Kenny G.
Jazz, for me, is a closed circuit, like the term baroque in the world of classical music.
'Amores Perros' is rock, '21 Grams' is jazz, 'Babel' is an opera, and 'Biutiful' is a requiem.
I think as long as people are around and can hear a record and hear people like Lester Young on a recording, there will always be a great inspiration for somebody to try to create jazz.
I consider myself very fortunate. I mean, I think there's that old saying, 'Where there's a will, there's a way,' and I just have such a passion for jazz music and playing the piano that I just find a way to make it work, so to speak. Fortunately, I have so far.
I think what we need is a more welcoming mode from the people who put on a hundred million country-western shows on television. How about a monthly jazz show?
You're just sort of searching for this 'thing' and sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. All music is imperfect, but in jazz since you're improvising, at least the way I play, I'm trying to follow my train of thought in a solo.
Jazz sometimes can be really complicated and inaccessible to people because they don't know what to start with. You can start with something that you love, but if you start with something that you hate, then it's like, 'You know what, I hate jazz.' It took me a lot of time to catch on to jazz, too.
I've always loved jazz.
I always say that the problem with jazz accessibility is not the content of the music, it's people's ability to access it.